What Is a 'Plandid'? Here's Why Celebrities Are All About This Instagram Trend

Rihanna attends the 2014 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles.

You know the poses: looking down, but slightly to the left; looking away as you brush back windswept hair, looking off to the sunset—basically, looking anywhere BUT the camera. Sound familiar? Then congratulations, because you know how to achieve the plandid, the latest Instagram trend to usurp selfies, mirror selfies, shoefies, belfies (any-fies), squad pix, and super stylized, obviously staged photos.

A portmanteau of “planned” and “candid,” a plandid, done successfully, should look as though you weren’t aware you were getting your photo taken. A friend (or Instagram husband, or innocent bystander, or a self-timed camera propped on a tripod) just happened to catch you at the right moment, at the right angle, and in the right lighting. It’s like the photographic version of a humble brag.

Of course, celebrities and social media influencers have been ‘gramming plandids from the start—with the help of employed assistants or professional photographers to capture their posed un-poses at whim. And now that there’s officially a name for it, you have the green light to go ahead and post those plandids with shameless abandon (the trick to it involves micro movements and an excessive amount of photos to memorialize said movements—bursts are your friend).

“Take a million photos so you'll have more choices, have an amazing backdrop, be yourself because people know when you’re not being authentic, and finally, don’t take it too seriously, because you’ll ruin the ‘in the moment’ vibe,’” says Kevin Benejam, a menswear stylist, influencer, and advocate of the plandid. “I think plandids are so popular because this is an age where many people are living two lives—one on Instagram and one in real life—so plandids are a way for viewers to perceive them in a certain way. Done right, and it’s a great way to show your lifestyle—and get thousands of likes in the process.”

Not entirely convinced? Keep reading for a look at some of our favorite celebrity plandids. And if you ever catch yourself wondering which photos are plandids as you scroll through your feed, trust, all of them are.